


When the World Burns, I'll Still Have You

by DeepBlueSkies



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Best Friends, F/F, Gay, Gay galore, IM U FROM THE FUTURE! YOUVE GOT TO STOP GOD!!!, Mild Language, Mutual Pining, Reconciliation Fic, and dumb, did i mention theyre gay, i cant believe im living in a dystopian future so i have to write about it, i had to im so sorry, im sad and anxious, theyre lesbians harold, theyre useless and gay, this is how i cope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23142631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepBlueSkies/pseuds/DeepBlueSkies
Summary: What happens when you're forced to stay in?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 95





	When the World Burns, I'll Still Have You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nuttyshake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nuttyshake/gifts).



> I wrote this in 30 minutes on my phone no i dont take criticism, yes i wish i was quarantined with my crush somewhere

_‘At this time, we are ordering a mandatory quarantine lockdown. Leaving your homes for any reason other than a fire emergency WILL result in a fine. Thank you.’_

Adora shut off the booming television and let herself fall on the couch. Of all the times to be stuck somewhere, it had to be while she was stopping by Catra’s apartment to pick up her stuff. Of course! Of course. The universe seems to always padlock her to Catra’s waist, as if they were some pair of socks that should never, under any circumstance, be separated. 

Of all the times for a lockdown.

“I can’t fucking believe it,” Catra says, “Wow.” And then she laughs so loud, Adora thinks she’s about to have a crying fit. 

Adora squints. “Look, I didn’t ask— I didn’t ask to be stuck here, Catra, but,” Adora looks down at her feet. “Maybe this is a chance for us to…to really talk.” 

Catra’s tail whips back and forth as her ears briefly flatten against her head. The moment doesn’t last.

“What’s there to talk about, Adora,” Catra says, “You obviously made your choice. You made it the second you blamed me for ‘being kind of disrespectful,’ remember?” 

“Catra, that’s not—“ Adora reaches for Catra’s hand. Catra darts out of the way. Adora sighs. “That’s not what I meant. It came out wrong, and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Catra,” Adora pleads.

“You’re sorry? You saw everything that happened to me, then had the audacity to say that some of it was because I was disrespectful, and you’re sorry?” 

“YES!” Adora screams. “Yes. I’m sorry. Catra, please, you have to understand—“

Catra cackles and crosses her arms, “It’s always the same with you, isn’t it? I have to do this, or I have to understand that. You still don’t get it, do you? After all this time,” Catra says, sadly, “after all this time, you still don’t get it.” 

Adora isn’t sure if it’s Catra’s words, or the implication behind each venomous, condescending inflection in each word that finally pushes her buttons. 

“Okay, Catra, then— then, help me understand then! What the fuck did I do and how do I fix it? How can I fix this?” Adora asks, fuming, eyes bloodshot and pooling with unspoken emotions.

Catra sits on the floor and hugs her knees, her tail coiling around her ankles. “You wanna know why I played the role I did? The troublemaker, the reject, the hybrid with no use other than to keep you happy?” 

Adora’s speechless. Catra continues.

“I did it because I only had two choices: I could’ve tried, could’ve come out on top. But then that meant we would both suffer for it. You’d get yelled at for getting distracted with me, and I’d get beaten for jeopardizing your future.”

Adora finally speaks. “And what was the other choice…?” 

And Catra finally looks up and locks eyes with Adora. “I shouldn’t have called it a choice, I think that’s the wrong word. It was never a choice, Adora. It was either that, or play my part and make sure you were happy at all costs. It was either play my part and have one of us at least have a chance, or try my best at something I was never going to win at anyway and have us both be miserable.” 

Adora’s mouth is agape as her breath catches in her throat, her ears taking in every truth she just heard like grinding metal on sandpaper. “...what?” 

Catra sighs. “It was either you or me, Adora,” Catra’s eyes are resolute, “And I am always going to choose you. I will always choose you.”

The realization rammed into Adora with the force of a stampede, each word trampling her with the weight of a burden so great, no one human should bear it alone. How did she not see this sooner? Had she willingly turned a blind eye? It was then that something else dawned on her. 

Catra chose her. And the one time it was up to her to choose, she didn’t choose Catra.

Adora fucked up. But if she fucked it up, she could un-fuck it, right? 

Adora stands and walks over to perch beside her ex-best friend. She places a tentative hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

And this time, Catra doesn’t flinch. This time, Catra can hear the truth and hurt behind those words; this time, Catra can feel the raw guilt in Adora’s apology. She thought hearing that pain would vindicate her, would make every other negative feeling fall into place and right her world again. 

It didn’t.

Catra leans into Adora’s touch. “I know.” 

It’s incredible how much weight two words and five letters could carry; how much unreleased tension one trite statement of acknowledgement could release.

They don’t know how long they sit on the floor, nor do they notice themselves gravitating into one another and collapsing into their own peaceful void, ignoring the chaos of the dystopian crisis enveloping their future.

-

When they wake up, Adora’s head is on Catra’s shoulder. Catra’s tail is wrapped around Adora’s wrist and her head rests on Adora’s hair poof.

Catra breaks the silence first.

“Looks like we both needed some sleep, huh?” Catra laughs. It’s the first genuine smile Adora’s seen from the feline since they first fought. 

“Yeah. It was—“ Adora chokes on the lump in her throat, “it was hard, you know. Sleeping without you. Being without you.” Adora stares into Catra’s heterochromatic eyes. “I should’ve come back. I shouldn’t have just left.”

Catra’s lips curl into a somber smile. “No. You did the right thing,” she sighs, then, “Knowing you, you probably thought you’d be able to come back for me, didn’t you?” She breathes a weak chuckle.

Adora huffs and smirks. “Of course, Catra. I—I never wanted to leave you.” 

Catra takes Adora’s hand and laces their fingers together. “I know.”

They sit there, on the floor of Catra’s apartment, their hands at home where they belong, and simply stare. 

This time, Adora speaks first.

“You know, even with this shitstorm outside,” Adora laughs, “Even with how fucked everything is with the world right now,” Adora leans closer, “My world’s never felt more right.”

The blood rushes to her cheeks and her tail coils itself even tighter around Adora’s wrist. “I know.”

Adora tucks a strand of Catra’s disheveled bangs back and scratches the famous spot behind her right ear.

They lean closer.

_A man on a megaphone shouts something indistinguishable._

They close their eyes.

_A door above them slams with so much force it rattles the entire building._

They’re only inches apart now.

_Their phones vibrate against the granite countertop, an urgent mandatory alert blaring on both screens._

But it doesn’t matter. 

The world around them could burn; the world around them could launch itself into an inhospitable trajectory and an uncertain future. The world around them could descend into an apocalyptic event horizon.

And they knew they would have each other.

Always.

_**Epilogue:**_

“Adora, please tell me your dumb friends have extra toilet paper,” Catra begs, her now girlfriend scratching her ears and poking at her sides.

“Why? Don’t you have any?” Adora asks.

Catra deadpans. “I mean, yea, but Scorpia and Entrapta INSIST on building their toilet paper fort!”

Adora lets out a lighthearted laugh and kisses Catra. “You’ll live.”

“Yea,” Catra shrugs, and kisses Adora back, smiling into the kiss, “Yea, I’ll live.”

**Author's Note:**

> if u finished this all the way, ur gay


End file.
